Reducing of noise from piling rigs and the like

ABSTRACT

A pile driving rig mounted on a free standing transportable frame. A sound reducing casing is provided on the frame which comprises a chamber for enclosing a pile driving means and all of a pile above ground. An aperture is provided in the top of the casing for the passage of control means for the pile driving means. There is also provided a door in an upstanding side wall of the casing for lateral insertion therein of a pile to be driven.

United States Patent [1 1 Shelbourne et al.

1 1 REDUCING OF NOISE FROM PILING RiGS AND THE LIKE {75] Inventors: Hugh C. Shelhourne, Ongar; Albert E. J. Selle, Thundersley, both of England [73] Assignee: Morrison & Morrison Limited [22] Filed: Nov. 4, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 195,565

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Nov. 17, 1970 Great Britain 54,551/70 [52] US. Cl 173/46, 173/86, 173/130, l73/DIG. 2

[51] Int. Cl. E02d 7/06 58 Field of Search .,1 73/3 1 e9, 173/128 133, 139, 46, DIG. 2

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,158,839 11/1915 Pierce 173/139 X 3,559,753 2/1971 Meri et a1. 173/139 X 3,067,657 12/1962 Wiekhorst 173/128 X irirzqvy mi -ffifiiw'ifi13?"??? Attorney-Richard K. Stevens, Davidson C. Miller et a1.

[57] ABSTRACT A pile driving rig mounted on a free standing transport able frame. A sound reducing casing is provided on the frame which comprises a chamber for enclosing a pile driving means and all of a pile above ground. An aperture is provided in the top of the casing for the passage of control means for the pile driving means. There is also provided a door in an upstanding side wall of the casing for lateral insertion therein of a pile to be driven.

17 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEU 3.750.765

SHEET 2 0F 3 FIG-.2.

REDUCING OF NOISE FROM PlLlNG RIGS AND THE LIKE This invention relates to piling rigs and is particularly concerned with the provision of a rig which reduces or alleviates the noise emanating from a pile-driving operation at the rig.

By the present invention there is provided a piling rig comprising a transportable frame having upstanding guides which are adapted to receive a pile or array of piles to be driven and to support and guide such pile or array of piles duringdriving, and means for driving the pile or array of piles; the frame and driving means being substantially totally enclosed above ground by a sound reducing casing which has at least one relatively small aperture through the top thereof for the passage of a cable or similar control for the driving means.

The invention was primarily developed having in mind the aim of reducing noise emanating from driving metal sheet piles. However it is to be realized that the invention may be utilized for driving into or out of the ground other types of piles as are well known in the field of civil engineering, for example concrete piles, timber piles or steel piles of box or other section and the like. The invention may also be used with advantage in the driving of metal stakes, rods, pipes or the like and these are intended to be included in the general term piles.

The pile-driving means can be such that it drives piles into or out of the ground and may comprise a vibratory or percussive device. When used for driving piles into the ground,the pile-driving means is preferably in the form of a drop hammer which is controlled by a cable extending through the hole in the top of the casing to a winch mechanism. Alternatively,if the pile-driving means is inthe form of a diesel or fluid Pressure oper ated reciprocating hammer or vibratory device (which latter device is normally mounted on top of thepile and may be suitable for driving piles into or out of the ground), auxiliary holes will generally be provided in the casing for the passage of fuel or fluid pressure conduits to the motor of the hammer or vibratory device. It is intended that in each case a cable or similar control device for the pile-driving means will extend through the hole in the top of the casing so that, after a piledriving operation in which a pile is driven into the ground, the driving means may be raised by the cable in preparation for receiving a furtherpile or piles for a further driving operation.

The casing is preferably attached to the frame. The means of attachment, desirably, is arranged so that there is no continuous metallic path for conducting sound vibrations from the interior to the exterior of the rig through the frame and the material of the casing. It is realized, however, that such means of attachment is not essential and, for example, the casing may be secured to the frame by bolts having plastics or other resilient bushes which tend to absorb vibration in the bolts. Although the bolts may provide a continuous path through the casing for the transmission of sound.

energy, it is believed that the noise emanating therefrom will be negligible in comparison with the noise usually associated with a pile-driving operation.

Although the rig maybe lowered over a pile to be driven into the ground while the latter is positioned as required, it is preferred that the casing is openable, for example, on an upstanding side thereof to allow a pile or array of piles to be placed in position within the frame prior to a driving operation.

As will be apparent, the structure and material from which the casing is formed is of considerable importance if the noise which emanates from the rig during pile-driving is to be reduced to that conventionally regarded as acceptable. Although several materials for the casing may be used (for example cellular plastics sheets of desired wall thickness) it is preferred that the casing is made of laminated material comprising metallic sheet and plastics sheet preferably bonded together. In a preferred construction the casing walls comprise at least three laminations of metal sheet and two laminations of plastics sheet secured together (preferably bonded) in alternate arrangement. The metal sheet or sheets may be of mild steel and the plastics sheet or sheets may be of soft polyvinyl chloride. To provide the preferred construction of easing walls, the soft polyvinyl chloride sheets are coated, conveniently by spraying, with a plasticizer, such as nitrile rubber, as a barrier. The plastics sheets are then cured and sprayed or otherwise coated with the bonding agent such as a hot polychloroprene (neoprene) based adhesive (or .an epoxy resin based adhesive such as the material sold under the Trade Mark Araldite"). The mild steel sheets are similarly coated with the bonding agent and these sheets are laminated with the plastics sheets and bonded thereto underpressure.

In the majority of applications the piling rig of the present invention will be used for driving a pile, or array of piles, into the ground and, for convenience such use only will hereinafter be considered (it being realized that any modifications which may be necessary to the structure described to render it suitable for drivi the pile or array of piles whenthe same is in position to hold or assist in holding thepile or array of piles upright during driving into the ground. Such support means can be detachably secured! to the upper end of the pile or array of piles to be driven. A helmet or cap may be interposed between the driving means and the pile orarray of piles so that it is borne on theupper end of the pile or array of piles during driving. Such helmet or cap is generally provided for the purpose'of protecting the upper end of the pile (for example to prevent burring in the case of sheet metal piles) and can conveniently provide the aforementioned support means. When the helmet or cap provides the support means,

it may be suitably recessed, slotted, flanged or otherwise shaped to accommodate an upper end of a pile or array of piles to retain them in an upright position for driving. Inthe case of a rig which incorporates a helmet or cap (and support means when such is not provided by the helmet or cap) each such componentand the driving means, especially in the case of a drop hammer, may be guided within the same upstanding guides of the frame.

One embodiment of a piling rig constructed in accordance with the present invention and of the drop hammer type, will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying illustrative drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the rig in which the casing has been partly cut away to illustrate the frame;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view from below of part of the rig and diagrammatically illustrates the manner in which a pile may be received thereby for driving, and

FIG. 3 graphically illustrates comparative results of noise level tests carried out on a conventional unsilenced" pile driving operation and on a pile-driving operation within a piling rig constructed in accordance with the invention.

The piling rig comprises an inner steel frame shown generally at l which is formed by four upright support bars 2 secured in spaced relationship by vertically spaced, and horizontally disposed bracing bars 3. The inner frame 1 partly defines an enclosure which is substantially rectangular in plan and elevation and has opposed side walls 4, an open front 5 and a rear wall 6.

The rig is approximately 33 ft. high, and secured to the exterior of the inner framework 1 on both the side walls 4 and rear wall 6 is sheet material 7 which partly provides a casing for the rig.

The front 5 of the inner frame 1 is provided over its upper part length (for approximately 9 feet from the top of the rig) with a further sheet of material 7a. The sheet 7a has an exterior steel support frame shown generally at 8 which carries a bracket 9.

Pivotally mounted between the bracket 9 and a base frame 10 of the rig is a further exterior steel frame part 11. This frame part 11 carries a sheet of material 7b and is so arranged that by pivotal movement of the frame part 11, the open front 5 on the lower part of the rig may be closed. In this respect the frame 11 and sheet material 7b provides an openable front wall or door for the rig. The sheet material 7b may, conveniently, be provided with a hinged flap or hatch shown at Ila of similar material which provides a small inspection door in the main front door of the rig.

The top of the rig is also provided with a sheet of material 70 having a small aperture 12 therein. The sheets of material 7 and 7a to 7c provide (when the door provided by the frame part 1 l is closed) a substantially to tally enclosed space above ground. As will be described hereinafter, the sheets of material 7 and 7a to 7c are constructed of such nature as to provide a sound reducing casing for the rig.

The upright support bars 2 provide guides for a drop hammer 13. The hammer 13 has two opposed and horizontally projecting tongue portions 13a which are slidably received one in each of a pair of opposed tracks 14, each track 14 being formed between an adjacent pair of support bars 2 located in a common side wall 4. The hammer 13 is attached to a cable 15 which passes through the aperture 12 and by which the hammer is raised and dropped in its guides. Mounted in the guide tracks [4 in a similar manner to the hammer 13 is a helmet 16. The helmet 16 is located in the guide tracks below the hammer l3 and is intended to protect the top of a pile during driving while supporting the pile in an upright position. For this latter purpose the underside of the helmet 16 may have a recess 16a (see FIG. 2) which is of complementary shape to the upper end of the pile and in which that upper end is received to ensure that the pile is held in its upright position. In addition to holding the pile upright the engagement between the recess 16a in the helmet l6 and the upper end of the pile may ensure that the pile is restrained of 15 Britishtonsfthe'hammeffl is raisedTitdfie upper portion of the inner frame 1, a pile (indicated by the broken lines 17) is positioned within the rig through the open lower front 5, and the helmet 16 is engaged on the top of the pile. Depending upon its weight, the helmet 16 may be raised manually, or detachable coupling means (not shown) can be provided between the hammer l3 and the helmet 16 so that the latter can be raised and lowered with the hammer under the control of the cable 15 during positioning of the pile.

To assist in maintaining the pile in a pre-determined plane during driving the base frame 10 can include a removably mounted guide plate which is conveniently a base plate of the rig and is shown generally at 21 in FIG. 2 in an aperture 22 of which the pile is initially located and through which the pile passes while it is being driven so that it is restrained by the guide plate 21 from twisting about a vertical axis.

Pile driving is achieved in a conventional manner by raising and dropping the hammer l3, and during such operation the door provided by the frame part 11 is pivoted so that the sheet material 7b closes the front 5 over the lower portion of the rig. Seals (not shown) may be provided between the sheet 7b and the lower part of the rig with which the sheet 7b would otherwise abut when the door 11 is closed. With the door 11 closed, the pile and hammer are substantially totally enclosed above ground in a sound-reducing casing constituted by the sheet material 7 and 7a to 7c.

The degree of sound reduction which is achieved may vary considerably depending upon. the nature of the sheet material 7 and 7a to 70. In experimental rigs we have determined that excellent sound reduction is achieved by having the sheet material 7 and 7a to 7c in bonded, laminated form comprising metallic sheet and plastics sheet. In a preferred structure the sheet material is formedby three laminations of mild steel sheet and two laminations of soft polyvinyl chloride sheet in alternate arrangement; the mild steel having 0.125 inches thickness (12 gauge) and the plastics sheet being 0.02 inches thick. The soft polyvinyl chloride sheets are sprayed with a nitrile rubber plasticiser as a barrier. These sheets are then cured and sprayed with a bonding agent of hot polychloroprene based adhesive. The mild steel sheetS are similarly sprayed with the bonding agent and then laminated as aforementioned with the plastics sheets; the laminate being bonded under pressure of approximately three pounds per square inch. The sheets of the casing are secured to the inner frame 1, outer frame part 8 and frame part I l (as the case may be) by bolts having bushes of polyvinyl chloride or nylon positioned between the sheeting and frame.

To facilitate its movement between pile driving positions the rig is preferably mounted on rollers (shown generally at 18) located on the base frame 10. If required the rollers 18 can be positioned for movement along a pre-determined track, for example they may be flanged and the rig mounted on rails. Eyes 19 are con veniently provided on the top of the rig by which it may the frame andwhich extend between the topmost bracing bar 3 on the rear wall 6 and the external frame part To facilitate transportation and assembly of the rig (particularly the pivotal mounting of the frame part 11 between the bracket 9 and the base frame 10) the rig may be formed in two parts (or several parts) which normally are bolted together but are separable for example, along the line indicated at 20.

In a modification (not shown) of the piling rig illustrated in FIG. 1, the rig is formed in at least two separable parts, a lower part substantially as shown in FIG. 1 below line except that the bracket 9 is carried on the main frame of this lower part (thereby ensuring that the front door is hung entirely on the lower part) and a top part substantially as shown in FIG. 1 above line 20 except that the bracket9 is omitted from this part. By this arrangement rectangularly sectioned tubular lengths of frame and casing (not shown) may be interposed and secured (preferably by bolts) between the top and lower parts to increase the height of the rig as may be required.

Noise level tests have been carried out on sheet pile driving operations, firstly with a conventional unsilenced" operation, and secondly with pile driving within a rig substantiallyas above described with reference to FIG. 1 and having the aforementioned preferred laminated structure of the sheet material; the results of these tests are comparatively illustrated in the graphs of FIG. 3. The tests were made in free-field conditions and with a three ton drop hammer falling through approximately three feet to effect pile driving. Noise levels (d BA) were taken at varying distances from the source. for each operation. In FIG. 3 the noise .level (d BA) is given on the ordinate and the distance to source (in feet) is, given on the abscissa (it will be noted that the abscissa is drawn on a logarithmic scale). Graph A shows the noise level variations for the conventional unsilenced" sheet pile driving operation, graph B shows the measured data for pile driving in the rig of the invention, and Graph C indicatesthe likely true noise levels for pile driving in the rig of the invenand whether any major reflective surfaces such as buildings are in the vicinity of driving) there is no doubt that the rig of the invention considerably reduces the noise emanating from piledriving in comparison with a conventional unsilenced operation. It is generally recognized that an acceptable noise level on construction sitesis approximately 70 dBA. In an unsilenced pile driving operation a noise level of this order is unlikely ,to be attained at less than 400 feet from the source whereas in the rig of the invention noise levels have been maintained in the order of 70 d BA at distances as close as 50 feet from the source (which is approxi-.

. be lifted and transported by crane. Theeyes 19 can be secured to steel beams (not shown) which form part of mately the same noise as would be expected from cranes, trucks and similar equipment on construction sites).

Although the present invention is primarily concerned with reducing noise which emanates from pile driving, it is to berealized that 'the structure of the easing material, namely the sheets 7 and 7a to 7c may be used for providing an enclosed space for the purpose of reducing noise from other sources. For example, the sheet material may be secured to a frame within which can be used a manually operated road drilland other cacophonous machines. With this in mind the invention further provides a transportable rig for noise reducing purposes comprising a frame which is substantially totally enclosed above ground by a sound reducing casing attached to the frame which casing is openable to permit access into the enclosure of the rig and comprises at least three laminations of metallic sheet and two laminations of plastics sheet secured together (preferably by bonding) in an alternate arrangement.

We claim:

1. A piling rig comprising a free standing transportable frame means for receiving therein a pile to be driven; support means, within said frame means, for engaging a pile to be driven and for guiding such pile vertically during driving, said support means being slidably engaging with and guided by said frame means and being movable vertically relative thereto to follow the pile downwardly during driving; pile driving means within said frame means above said support means and movable vertically relative to said frame means for following the pile downwardly during driving; a sound reducing casing secured to and carried by said frame means to provide a chamber which is enclosed above ground, said pile driving means and said support means being located within saidchamber and said chamber receiving the whole length of pile to be driven; said casing having in the upper Part thereof an aperture for the passage of control means for the pile driving means and said casing having a door in an upstanding side wall thereof through which a pile to be driven is inserted into the chamber below said pile driving means.

2. A piling rig as claimed in claim 1 wherein said pile driving means engages with and is guided by said frame means. i

. 3. A piling rig as claimed in. claim 1 comprising attachment means for securingthe casing to the frame means, said attachment means providing a discontinuous metallic path to alleviate the conduction of sound vibrations by way of said attachment means from the interior to the exterior of the rig through the frame means and easing.

4. A piling rig as claimed in claim 1 comprising attachment means forsecuring the casing to the frame means, said attachment means includingboltst having resilient bushes for absorbing vibration in the bolts.

5. A piling rig as claimed in claim 1 wherein the easing comprises laminated sheeting including metallic sheet and plastics sheet secured together.

6. A piling rig as claimed in claim 5 wherein the laminated sheeting comprises at least three laminations of metal sheet and two laminations of plastics sheet secured together in alternate arrangement.

7. A piling rig as claimed in claim 5 wherein the metallic sheet and plastics sheet are bonded together.

8. A piling rig as claimed in claim wherein the metallic sheet is mild steel.

9. A piling rig as claimed in claim 5 wherein the plastics sheet is soft polyvinyl chloride.

10. A piling rig as claimed in claim 1 wherein the support means is detachably borne by the upper end of the pile.

l l. A piling rig as claimed in claim 1 wherein the support means comprises a helmet which is interposed between the driving means and the pile and is borne on the upper end of the pile during driving.

12. A piling rig as claimed in claim 1 wherein the sup port means engages with the upper end of the pile to restrain the pile from twisting about a vertical axis from the plane of driving.

13. A piling rig as claimed in claim 1 wherein the frame means comprises track forming guides in which track the pile driving means and support means are slidably located and vertically guided for driving movement of the pile.

14. A piling rig as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pile driving means is a drop hammer.

15. A piling rig as claimed in claim 1 wherein the frame means carries, near the bottom of the rig, further guide means for positioning the pile for driving and for restraining the pile from moving out of the plane of driving while it is being driven.

16. A piling rig as claimed in claim 15 in which the further guide means comprises an apertured plate through which the pile slides vertically and is guided during pile driving.

17. A piling rig as claimed in claim 1 and comprising a top part and a lower part, said top part being separable from said lower part and thecasing of said lower part of the rig including the door, said door being hinged to said frame means and being hung indepen- 

1. A piling rig comprising a free standing transportable frame means for receiving therein a pile to be driven; support means, within said frame means, for engagIng a pile to be driven and for guiding such pile verticallY during driving, said support means being slidably engaging with and guided by said frame means and being movable vertically relative thereto to follow the pile downwardly during driving; pile driving means within said frame means above said support means and movable vertically relative to said frame means for following the pile downwardly during driving; a sound reducing casing secured to and carried by said frame means to provide a chamber which is enclosed above ground, said pile driving means and said support means being located within said chamber and said chamber receiving the whole length of pile to be driven; said casing having in the upper part thereof an aperture for the passage of control means for the pile driving means and said casing having a door in an upstanding side wall thereof through which a pile to be driven is inserted into the chamber below said pile driving means.
 2. A piling rig as claimed in claim 1 wherein said pile driving means engages with and is guided by said frame means.
 3. A piling rig as claimed in claim 1 comprising attachment means for securing the casing to the frame means, said attachment means providing a discontinuous metallic path to alleviate the conduction of sound vibrations by way of said attachment means from the interior to the exterior of the rig through the frame means and casing.
 4. A piling rig as claimed in claim 1 comprising attachment means for securing the casing to the frame means, said attachment means including bolts having resilient bushes for absorbing vibration in the bolts.
 5. A piling rig as claimed in claim 1 wherein the casing comprises laminated sheeting including metallic sheet and plastics sheet secured together.
 6. A piling rig as claimed in claim 5 wherein the laminated sheeting comprises at least three laminations of metal sheet and two laminations of plastics sheet secured together in alternate arrangement.
 7. A piling rig as claimed in claim 5 wherein the metallic sheet and plastics sheet are bonded together.
 8. A piling rig as claimed in claim 5 wherein the metallic sheet is mild steel.
 9. A piling rig as claimed in claim 5 wherein the plastics sheet is soft polyvinyl chloride.
 10. A piling rig as claimed in claim 1 wherein the support means is detachably borne by the upper end of the pile.
 11. A piling rig as claimed in claim 1 wherein the support means comprises a helmet which is interposed between the driving means and the pile and is borne on the upper end of the pile during driving.
 12. A piling rig as claimed in claim 1 wherein the support means engages with the upper end of the pile to restrain the pile from twisting about a vertical axis from the plane of driving.
 13. A piling rig as claimed in claim 1 wherein the frame means comprises track forming guides in which track the pile driving means and support means are slidably located and vertically guided for driving movement of the pile.
 14. A piling rig as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pile driving means is a drop hammer.
 15. A piling rig as claimed in claim 1 wherein the frame means carries, near the bottom of the rig, further guide means for positioning the pile for driving and for restraining the pile from moving out of the plane of driving while it is being driven.
 16. A piling rig as claimed in claim 15 in which the further guide means comprises an apertured plate through which the pile slides vertically and is guided during pile driving.
 17. A piling rig as claimed in claim 1 and comprising a top part and a lower part, said top part being separable from said lower part and the casing of said lower part of the rig including the door, said door being hinged to said frame means and being hung independently of said top part. 